It can’t be denied that Pinoys love to drink. In fact, the word “love” might be an understatement. What else could explain the abundance of gastropubs and bars nowadays, catering to our needs for good food and some dancing as we gulp down our drinks? Cases of our favorite beers are almost always present in any fiesta, meant to wash down those bits of lechon, or simply to accompany us as we belt out favorite tunes over the microphone. Indeed, drinking is one thing we love doing together—an excuse to meet up and bond over a favorite activity.

But what else is there beyond the voracious guzzling? What else aside from beer pongs, from truth-or-dares, from wild sessions of “I’ve Never”? What else can be done with that bottle that does not include stylish brandishing inside super clubs, or skillful juggling with mics? Food and beer pairing, that’s what. Enjoying your favorite dish with the right type of beer—something we very rarely think about. That’s where The Perfect Pint comes in.

I’ve previously featured this gastropub in my blog, after a random—and very welcome—discovery. I was instantly impressed by their concept: showcasing beers that are made from scratch, no shortcuts, and no extenders. Instead of selling beers produced by the behemoths, The Perfect Pint aims to educate more consumers about local craft beers created by small, independent brewers not only from Manila but also from provinces like Baguio and Palawan.

And these beers are not at all inferior in quality, I tell you. In fact, they’re fuller in taste and flavor and I would choose them over any popular bottle any day.

In a recent food and craft beer pairing event, called The Perfect Match, The Perfect Pint highlighted special creations by different local chefs. The chefs gladly shared unique recipes which they thought would pair well with a chosen brew from the pub selections.

Noel Tempongko welcomes the chefs, brewmasters, guests, and members of the media.

Take for example the Sausage Kebab made by Chef Martin del Prado. It’s a simple Hungarian sausage: grilled, sliced, and skewered along with white onions and bell peppers, then finished with a caramelized onion vinaigrette. I loved the tanginess that permeated the smokiness of the sausage; moreover, the lightness of Joe’s Brew Fish Rider Pale Ale further brought out the dish’s flavors.

I’m addicted to the Pivo Praha Dark Lager so I was a bit biased towards the next pairing: Chef JA Ventura’s Chorizo Filipino Tacos paired with my Perfect Pint favorite. I found both the dish and the beer to have similar qualities: balanced, with a slight “kick”—a dash of spice from the tacos, and a hint of caramel from the lager. A very interesting pairing.

A noteworthy dish—which I think should find its way permanently into The Perfect Pint’s menu—is Chef Gigi Angkaw’s Thai Fish Cakes. Inspired to create healthy dishes, Chef Gigi incorporates fish into a lot of her recipes. However, for this special event, she introduced a bit of sinfulness by adding aligue aioli—to the delight of many (I would brazenly assume)! The cakes were abso-fucking-lutely good—the cakes subtly flavored, the dip creamy, herby and garlicky. I could finish a whole kilo of this! OMG, I wanted to be Chef Gigi’s slave forever!

The cakes were paired with the Joe’s Brew Sierra Madre Wheat Ale, which was light and sweetish—perfect with the bold flavors of the fish cakes. I’d say if anyone was looking for the best pairing, this is definitely IT—it’s as if the term “perfect match” was specifically coined for this dish.

However, with my relentless love for spicy food and dark beers—the fourth pairing just really won my heart: Chef Ojie Reloj’s Murtabak paired with the Katipunan Signal No. 1 Stout. Murtabak is a Mediterranean dish made of unleavened bread, then filled with savory stuffing (minced beef) and peppered with lots of spices. Chef Ojie’s creation comes with a red curry sauce which for some reason seemed to balance out the heat.

Munching of this cake brought me back to the days I spent in India—the scent alone transported me 4 years back, reminding me of tons of good times spent eating Indian food. Better yet, this one came with an equally daring brew: the Katipunan Stout, which wasn’t called Signal No. 1 for nothing. The rich, strong brew that hints of coffee and cocoa was so overwhelming, and paired with the Murtabak, it was simply mind-blowing!

Guests availing of the Chef’s Creations Set (P599) will get to taste all 4 brews and 4 dishes. I really thought it was worth the price since I got to try different varieties of both food and drink. This wasn’t just a meal, this was a total experience.

Diners are encouraged to vote for their favorite pairing via the “ballots” that The Perfect Pint staff give around. I seriously push you to vote for your top choice as well—who knows, maybe the winning dish will be incorporated into their menu!

The Chef’s Creations Set is a limited offering which only runs from October 20 to 23—the first of four sets of food-and-beer pairing events happening in The Perfect Pint in the next 4 weeks. Hurry up and catch these amazing dishes! These are the other food and craft beer pairing events you should watch out for:

Band of Brewmasters: October 27 to 30 - featuring recommended pairings from the brewers of Katipunan, Joe's Brew, and Pivo Praha

Thank you The Perfect Pint for giving us diners and beer lovers creative and awesome options to drink and enjoy our favorite comfort food. Congratulations for being the premier choice for a complete food-and-drink experience!

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AND NOW … THE GIVEAWAY!

I’m feeling generous today so I thought of giving away 2 Perfect Pint GCs worth PhP500 each to two (2) lucky (and patient) readers! You can use these GCs to grab your favorite craft beers—or why not use them to try the upcoming food-and-craft-beer pairings in the next 3 weeks!

How to win? Just follow these 3 easy steps!

1. Share this post via Facebook with the hashtags #ThePerfectPintPH,#ThePerfectMatch and #PepeSamsonGiveaway. (Please use the flare buttons at the top of this post, OR the buttons below this post.)

2. In the comments section below, post the name of the dish which you think is the most appetizing! (Make sure you log-in Disqus via your Facebook account.)